A Spot of T

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like....Panic

I'm running out of steam and Christmas is less than two weeks away.  I'm not panicking....yet.  But I can see it happening....soon.

I'm not even concerned about Christmas Day, it's this weekend and Christmas Eve I'm trying to get ready for.  We always invite Gregg's family over Christmas Eve and everyone seems to enjoy it.  Well they keep coming back every year so I take that to mean they enjoy it.  Which means I get a bit stressed to have everything in order, clean and nice.  I could care less anymore if people make cracks and comments on the food, house, or whatever but I'm human and want things nice for my husband's family when they come over.

Right now, I have to focus on driving up to Grande Prairie this Saturday to go to my husband's company Christmas Party.  As one of the bosses wives I should attend, but you have NO idea how much I hate stuff like this.  I'm quiet anyhow in a crowd, but to have people come up all night long, shake your hand and, well, talk.  Sigh.  I've always made it a rule to stay away from the company side of things when it comes to Gregg, but now that things are taking off....oiy!  I must shake hands, smile and pretend I want to be there all the while dying a little bit inside.  Once a year is no big deal Joy, once a year is no big deal Joy, once a year is no.......

I'm only half done my Christmas Cards, I have a friggen 14' Christmas tree half decorated in my living room because the thing's huge and I didn't have enough ornaments to cover it.  It fell over at about 2:30 in the morning when Gregg first put it up and I was secretly wishing it would break in half.  Don't tell him I said that though, he's so proud of his Christmas tree.  It's.  Just.  So.  BIG!

I keep trying to focus on Christmas Day.  Christmas Day is the day the kids and I really look forward to the most.  I didn't mention Gregg because I don't have a clue what he looks forward to the most.  The kids tell me, he doesn't.  We get up, we open gifts, and then we lounge around all day doing absolutely nothing but being together as a family.  With a husband who works out of town 90% of the time, it's THE one time of the year we get a whole day to ourselves without....hopefully.....the phone ringing off the hook when he's home.  It is sooooo relaxing and calm and peaceful...and it's the day I focus on when things get a bit crazy.

The good news is....I told Gregg what we were getting the kids this year for Christmas, he threw a tantrum and he's now demanded that all Christmas shopping be put on hold until he gets home the next time.  Whatever.  It takes a load off me and should be much easier as Christmas draws closer.  That was me being sarcastic.

Let's see here, our oldest is 18 and I can think of only one other time Gregg was home and went Christmas shopping with me.  I don't back down, he's a jerk and we fought and argued about every little minute thing.....I think I may have even hit him right there in the mall.....but we were together and we got all the shopping done.  We spent much more than Gregg had originally planned because by the end of the day he was tired and willing to pay any amount or buy anything just to get out of the mall.

So come on home dear...and let the good times roll.....only this time......I can blog about it :o)

A Ramble and a Question

I had an incident over the weekend that had me thinking about blogging.

I decided to start a blog because my doctor told me I needed something that would help take my mind off of the stresses in my life and help the ol blood pressure come down.  My doctor suggested a journal, "You can't keep everything inside Joy, let it out."  Whatever.  I think you're either born a talker or a listener.  I'm pretty sure I was born a listener.  I'd rather sit back and listen to what people have to say then jump in and try and be heard.  If people tick me off I keep it inside because, let's face it here folks, no one really cares or wants to listen, they'd rather tell you their problems than listen to yours.  And I'm ok with that.  That's why I started a blog.  Honest.  It didn't matter to me if people wanted to read or not, I would just vent when I needed to vent otherwise I ramble about nothing.  And it's worked.  Blood pressure is coming down nicely, AND a 100% bonus is I've met some great bloggers along the way.  I'm still floored by it all.

My stats have gone up, I get more emails, and even more people commenting.  I didn't think I would, being as private as I've always been, but I love it all.  Which had me thinking of an email I received a couple months into blogging.  I don't keep the emails I receive so this isn't word for word but it went something like...."I enjoy your blog, keep doing what you are doing and people will find you and will want to keep coming back to read what you have to say."  Very nice for a newbie blogger who writes about nothing I thought.  It went on to read "But be prepared, because the more people come to read, the more you may need to comment on what you write about."   I was now curious.  I wrote the gentleman back asking what he meant and he said, "Go to any blog and you will read people who have miscontrued entries, leave horrible comments, etc."  He wrote more but I got the jist of it.  Entries can be misconstrued, taken wrong, read too much into, etc. etc. etc.  I laughed and thanked him.  It would never happen to me.

Well never say never.

I wrote an entry.....venting a smidge.....because that's what keeps the blood pressure down...letting go a bit.....and someone completely unrelated to the entry emailed me and voiced their concern.  They thought it was about them.  I was blind-sided and shocked because it definitely was not about them.  I told my husband and he laughed and said "Well isn't that the way Joy, the nice one thinks it's about them and the one who actually pissed you off probably read it and said 'well it can't be about me'."  Truer words were never spoken.

The good thing is, I'm glad the person wrote to me.  You have a problem with me, come to me and tell me.  I do the same.  There's never any guessing with me.  The incident was cleared up and put away, never to be heard from again.

But it had me thinking all morning on the incident.  When I 'thought' about it, I saw how this person would think it was about them.  Da!  But what do you do?  Write to them first and make sure they know it's not about them.  I'm not that smart I'm afraid, it didn't even dawn on me that another person would see an entry and think it was about them.

So.....my question would be......have you ever gotten into trouble by an entry in your blog?  If you have friends and family who read your blog, has an entry ever been miscontrued....and feelings hurt?

Crazy Old 'Stuffie' Lady

My morning started out with someone taking credit for an idea I clearly had first.  Humph!  I hate when that happens and kind of turn my head sideways when people do that.  But in the spirit of the holiday season.....I'm going to let it go.....again.  This has been twice now and I'm afraid if there's a third time, I'm not going to be my normal charming self about it.

But then the good.  I started opening up the mail I received yesterday and love the goodies that arrived.  I am such a sucker for anything in the mail....except bills of course.  Christmas cards are starting to roll in and buttons...yes buttons.  My December button/s of the month are cute as ever and.....

I don't think I've said this on here before but I have an internet friend and her name is Penney.  We met through an organization we both belonged to and have known each other a few years now.  We've become great pen pals this last year and I cherish all the letters I get from her.  She's a MUCH better pen pal than I am....I was doing so good too....but that will change in the coming year.  I have plans of making more time for the important things and writing snail mail is top on the list.  If you're reading this Penney, you're the best and I love you to bits girl :o)

So out of the blue I get a card and the little 'hot flash' pin above from Penney.  Man did I laugh.  I'm old, old enough to have hot flashes anyhow, and I've learned there's nothing to do except deal with them the best you can and try and laugh as much as possible while going through yet another stage of life.  Gregg tells me he's getting old and his joints ache.  What....EVER!  Men have it SO easy.  And none of you men write and tell me you have it so tough because you have to put up with us women while we're going through our change.....or I'll smack ya.

The other package had Noelle in it.  Noelle was found through my blogging travels to Little Cotton Rabbits.  This will be the second stuffie I've bought and I'm really hoping I don't turn into one of those old people who have crazy stuffed things laying on their furniture, and when you come to visit you have to put a stuffed duck on your lap because otherwise there's no room to sit down.

Noelle is even cuter in person though and has a spot in my office all her own.  There were also chocolates tucked in with the package.  Chocolate!  I'm so easy, but I say it's the little extras that make some things even brighter.  I know already I will be ordering more bunnies, Noelle is Christmas afterall and I will need an 'everyday' bunny when I tuck her away after the holiday season.  I just went to Little Cotton Rabbit's site and now there is a monkey!

Oh geez, bunnies and now monkeys?  I just might become one of those crazy old 'stuffie' people after all.

Let it Be Christmas

I recorded a Christmasy Greeting on the telephone this morning.  The message turned out not too bad if I do say so myself with Alan Jackson's Let it Be Christmas playing in the background.    I'd play it here but I don't have a clue how to do that, and if I didn't think you were all a bunch of psycho's I'd be passing out my phone number just so you could listen to it :o)

A spurt of energy had me working on the office this morning.  Christmas isn’t getting any farther away and people are going to have a real hard time getting around bookshelves in the hallway if I don’t get a move on here.

I found things that were pretty cool.  These were given to me by my kids a few years ago.  Growing up my kids have heard me say on more than one occasion “I’m already aware I’m not going to win Mother of the Year so get your chores done already.”  This proves years ago I DID win mother of the year :o)

The next find wasn’t as fun.  What was I thinking?  I’m an all or nothing kind of gal so when I wanted to try my hand at making homemade cards, I went all out.  Books upon books and every magazine available were brought into this house.  To be fair, I did make a ‘few’ cards, but with all these magazines you would think I’d be able to open up my own ‘A Spot of T’ card store by now.

I was even amused to see a magazine entitled "Writers’ Journal - Publish your Life's Experience".  Apparently, in November of 2004 I thought I would….what?......Publish My Life Experiences?  **shrugging her shoulders shaking her head**  I don’t know?  Knowing me it probably wasn't even about the magazine but more about an ad in the back of the magazine that caught my eye.

Some things never change however.  For years I’ve been interested in photography, gardening, a little Feng Shui and a lot of antiques.  I laugh when I see these books because I am also a passionate kind of gal.  Even though my photos are mostly blurry, my gardens are eaten by deer most years, I have no sense of direction for Feng Shui and all antique shopping is out until the last T kid is done College, each one is a passion that I just can't seem to get enough of......or get rid of.

Coffee Shop Blues

I stopped by my favorite coffee shop this morning and did what I always do while I'm in there, I pretended to read.  Oh I skim through the paper, but I'm honest enough to admit I eavesdrop on most occasions.  People fascinate me what can I say.

Today's topic which caught my ear was between two friends who I'm guessing were in their mid-50's.  I picture these ladies as very good friends who have been there for one another for many many years.

Things were silent between them when I came in and sat down behind them, and then Ms. PomPom (because she had on the coolest pom pom hat on) started telling Ms. Bright Flower how she was going through a very depressing time and just couldn't seem to find the light in anything lately.

No one understood Ms. PomPom, people were telling her to 'snap out of it', her church wasn't helping, and the latest blow was a phone call from her son who had decided because his mother was so down lately and he didn't want to be made to feel bad over the holidays, decided he was going to spend Christmas with his girlfriend's family this year.  Ouch.

Now I'm a huge believer in 'there's always two sides to every story' so there's nothing to be said on her son's comment, but this woman's pain was very real.  Her doctor wants to put her on medication for her depression and she won't hear of it.  Ms. Bright Flower told her friend perhaps she should consider it because she's noticed how down Ms. PomPom has been lately and as her friend she was worried.  Ms. PomPom started to cry and said her whole life was falling down around her.  Ms. Brightflower put her hand on top of Ms. PomPom's.  No words, just one friend's hand on another friend's hand.

I had to leave for an appointment, one of the worst parts about stopping at your favorite coffee shop, you never know how things turn out, but I left feeling Ms. PomPom would be ok.  This could be the optimist coming out in me, but it's amazing what real friends can do for a person.

Maybe Ms. PomPom will decide to go on the needed medication, maybe she won't.  I know nothing about depression so I couldn't even venture a guess on what the right thing is there.  Perhaps her son will call over Christmas to let his mom know he's thinking of her and making sure she is ok.  I don't know what kind of relationship they have, so another tough one to predict.  I want all parents getting along with all kids.  In a perfect world.

My coffee shop stops.  I don't get to go in too often, but when I do, I love them.  I catch people being real....when they think no one is watching.

Well Friggen Ho Ho to You Too

I thought I would start on some Christmas shopping today.  Yes start.  Oh shut up all you people who are already done.....I really don't want to hear it.

Don't I sound jolly?  Don't I sound in the Christmas spirit?  Well I'm not.  Maybe tomorrow I will be, but today just plain sucks and everyone I met today were asses.  There, I swore....you happy?!

To the lady at The Bay who sat there doing her nails while I stood with my hands full waiting for you to finish your manicure.........you suck!

To the gentleman....and I use that word loosely......who rushed past me while I had been waiting for 4 hours....YES 4 HOURS it's my story so back off......for the parking space....and took it right out from under my nose........you SUCK!  And Santa saw what you said to me when I honked at you you know, so you better watch that potty mouth of yours......YOU ASSHOLE!

To the gas attendant who didn't want to take cash because cash means that I'll probably need change and nobody uses cash anymore lady....you suck.....and you smell.

To the lady at the post office....well I'm not going to say anything about you in case you come after me with a gun because that's the kind of look you had in your eyes when I asked if I could get that package sent so I could track it.  You fruit loop.

To the lady standing in line behind me at the post office.  Wanna stand a little closer?  Because anyone who knows me knows how much I love people all up in my space.  One more bump from you and you would have been sent special delivery my friend.

To the lady behind the cosmetic counter in Holt Renfrew....you were nice to me but plain rude to the old gentleman who asked you a simple question....which makes you nasty in my books.

To the girl at Second Cup who was like talking on your cell phone to your like friend and saying f like this and f like that....I called your boss.....like.

To the....oh never mind....everyone was rude today and I hate them all.

Winners of NaBloPoMo

Here are a list of the winners for NaBloPoMo.

According to Pink, the randomizer won't be coming down anytime soon so that's good.  Hopefully the list at Fussy's will stay up for awhile too because I am still searching for one particular blog.  Never give up...never surrender.

A Well Balanced Life

I'm bummed because my Ryan Smyth ...... yes 'my'....I don't want to have his children or anything, I more look at him as an older son.....but it's ok, he doesn't know he's mine but if he did he'd be ok with it....is out with a fractured right thumb after colliding with a Blue Jacket in Saturday's game.  Can I make it any clearer?  Bummer.

But then the usual happens.  I feel a low and then things even out with a high.  No one's going to know what I'm talking about here, but if you watched Jerry Seinfield at all there was an episode where Jerry explained how his life always evened out.  If he lost $20 he found $20, if something of his got wrecked something new came along, etc.  I could so relate to that episode.

So with the news of my Ryan being on the injured list, I received the below email yesterday.......

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Joy from A Spot of T, you have been randomly and scientifically chosen to receive a prize for completing NaBloPoMo '06!

Your prize, from Roo, is a custom CD full of music, with or without banjo!

I am CC'ing Roo on this e-mail so the two of you can get together and work out the details.

I'd also like to mention you on the winners list I post on Monday, but let me know if you'd rather not be listed.

Thanks for sticking with it, and thank you both for helping to make the very first BloMo challenge to mind-expanding experience that it was.

Hooray!

Eden

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Randomly and scientifically maybe.......but once again my life evens out :o)

Production Thy Name is Joy

I really need to be sick more often, I have made leaps and bounds in this office the last couple of days and oiy the things I've found!

This morning I got up and felt so good I decided to make a crockpot of chili and throw the ingredients in the bread machine for some homemade bread.  Michael and his friend T are going to be snowmobiling most of the day and according to Michael there's nothing better than some hot chili and homemade bread to stick to the ribs on a cold day.

Chili was a huge success

The bread on the other hand was a bit of a flop

 

I've had my bread machine for years now and have never had a flop before.  I'm thinking my son came in at one point and opened the lid....even though I told him not too and he denies everything...all the while having a smirk on his face.

The good thing about teenage boys is....they will eat anything.  Oh they make fun and make bets on how much the little mini loaf weighs, but they dig in, they love it and even go back for seconds and thirds.

Now if you'll excuse me I think I'll go and make another loaf while the guys are out snowmobiling.  Maybe this time no one will open the lid and peek in.

Wanna Join A Traveling Journal?

That's right, journal, not circus.  Although one never knows the cast of colorful people who will be participating :o)

Radioactive Jam is spearheading this project and I can't wait to get started.  Here's what he has to say:

We need volunteers - up to a hundred people - to participate in what will become an amazing, fascinating, long-term, real life project. We want to send the blank book shown above on a worldwide tour. We want you to fill a page with whatever “fits” you: prose, poetry, artwork, pictures - you decide. After you finish your page, you send the book to the next recipient; lather, rinse, repeat!

When the book is full and our collective story is finished, two things will happen. First, the entire book will be scanned and made available for viewing and download.* Then we’ll randomly select one contributor; that most fortunate person will get to keep the completed book,† one hundred pages created by blogger friends, friends of bloggers, stranger bloggers… erm. You get the idea I am sure.

Some details still need work, but I’m 100% sure we can get this done and have a great time in the doing. Time frame? We’ll start as soon as we get our first contributors. As to finishing… the project will likely take between one and two years to complete. Fifty to one hundred participants, average one week cycle time (that might be optimistic but it’s the target just the same) - you can do the math. Still I’m convinced this will be a fine, fun project and well worth the wait.

If you’re ready to claim your page, leave a comment and let us know. The project is open to pretty much anyone, up to a maximum of 100 people. Tell friends (and feiends)! Twist arms! Cajole! Persuade! Publicize! Etc.

A brief summary:

• Anyone can participate.
• 100 pages = 100 people max.
• Privacy/anonymity maintained “as you wish.”
• You’re invited!

Also you’re more than welcome to invite your friends, readers and feiends; just be sure to let us know about them (or send them here) so we can keep track. Any questions, ask away - and thanks in advance. We’re gonna have a great time!

So there you have it.  Sounds like fun doesn't it?  Tell your friends and then head on over to Radioactive Jam and sign up.